Training Log Archive: CleverSky

Lake Gardner canoe-O, with Aims in the C-2. 93% awesome, and the other 7% really stunk up the place. Trivial navigation, and we even make a nice portage cutoff around an oxbow from #12 to #13. But then instead of just paddling up to #15, Aims, who always needs to find a trick, decided it would be a smart idea to carry the boat down the road from #13 to #1, and for me to scoot across the field to get #15. Of course, the map didn't have contours, reliable vegetation mapping, or even the road we were going to be on, although it was pretty clear that the road would go through. After fighting my way through a jungle of head-high grass to get to the control, I found a tractor road leading out, so I took it and figured I'd find my way back to the lake somehow. Eventually I wilted in the heat, and was walking with no real idea of where I was. Fortunately, I went by an intersection I had passed on my drive in and figured it out from there. At least one guy in a C-1 was 10 minutes faster than us. We should have just paddled to the damn control.

The AC on my car hadn't been working, and Mom had a medical appointment that she needed a ride to, so last night she met me at the car repair place where I left my car, I borrowed hers to go to work this morning, and then drove her to the appointment in the afternoon. After I brought her home, I drove to my house to get my bike, and rode over to Ernie's to pick up the Vibe. AC works great now.

Then I drove to Mom's house and dropped off the bike, drove home and got her car, drove it to her house, and rode home via Hickory Hills.

AOWN: Coming around by the dam, there was a flock of geese hanging out in the road. They scattered as I approached, but one of them went in the same direction I was going, barely staying ahead of me, and I damn near hit it. I'm sure I was within an inch. Not expecting that, I didn't even have time to go for the brakes.

Rode to the ConComm meeting. Took an interesting fall of a sort I've never done before: I got a loop of my shoelace shagged on a crank cotter. Pedals stop, wheel stops, rider keeps going. Landed on my feet, but dropped the unicycle.

Back home, in the dark, with the hatlamp. Thunderstorm on the horizon, but no rain here.

Pearl Hill area, same loop as last Thursday, but in the opposite direction. No problem finding my way, although if I were to take a break without doing this several more times, some turns would become easy to forget. A minute and a half faster, so that's basically the same, the difference is probably because the water level was lower and I was able to get across the creek on stepping stones. Quite a few FDFs out, which were not much of a bother as long as I was moving, but when the car was in sight and I walked the last bit to cool down, they were pretty annoying.

Ascutney gear schlep, not sure of the actual time as I didn't punch the buttons on my watch properly, but this is probably close. Doesn't include a stroll to the South Launch to check it out. The way things were looking, I could have been facing doing this hike again to take my stuff back to the parking lot, but three of the four who were there did launch and all had very lackluster flights. I gained not a single foot of altitude in the seven minutes it took me to reach the landing field. But that's hardly anything to complain about, I still flew through the air and landed safely. A far more awesome hang gliding experience than most people will ever have, maybe even than most people who start taking lessons.